Poll: Americans back global warming cuts

Washington  Two-thirds of Americans say President George W. Bush should develop a plan to reduce the emission of gases like carbon dioxide that have been blamed for causing global temperature increases, says a poll released Sunday.

In the middle of last month, Bush reversed himself on a campaign promise that his administration would reduce carbon dioxide emissions. His administration also has announced it will pull out of an international agreement aimed at combating climate change.

The Time-CNN poll, taken after the announced pullout, found that three-fourths of Americans say they consider global warming to be a serious problem. More than four in 10 said they consider the problem very serious and three in 10 said it was fairly serious.

European officials have warned the decision to pull out of the climate agreement, known as the Kyoto Protocol, could harm U.S. relations with the rest of the world.

Bush said he changed his position because he would not do anything to further harm the economy or affect the energy supply. He and Whitman have said the administration remains open to discussions of ways to reduce global warming.

The Time magazine cover story includes a letter to the president from former President Jimmy Carter, former news anchor Walter Cronkite, former astronaut and senator John Glenn, scientist Stephen Hawking and several others asking the president to "develop a plan to reduce U.S. production of greenhouse gases."